A Haven on Orchard Lane by Lawana Blackwell

Much-Loved Lawana Blackwell Delivers Another Charming Victorian-Era Tale

In difficult circumstances, Charlotte Ward, once a famed stage actress, tries to restart her career--only to experience disaster. Against her better judgment, her estranged daughter, Rosalind, comes to her mother's rescue and moves her to a quiet English coastal village.
Charlotte is grateful to get to know Rosalind after years apart. As one who has regrets about her own romantic past, it's a joy for Charlotte to see love blossom for her daughter. For Rosalind, however, it's time away from teaching--and now she must care for the mother who wasn't there for her. And what could be more complicated than romance?
Together, mother and daughter discover that healing is best accomplished when they focus less on themselves and more on the needs of others.

About The Author

 

Lawana Blackwell has thirteen published novels to her credit, many of them set in the English countryside of the 19th century. She and her husband live in Frisco, Texas.


My Review

 

I picked up this book not really knowing what to expect, and was soon engulfed into the lives of Charlotte Ward and her daughter Rosalind. As I read on the blurb on the back of the book about Charlotte, a renowned actress, but failure as a mother, or was she?
I found Charlotte as a very caring woman, she seemed to be there for others whom were less fortunate, or to help them onto the right path, but some of her life decisions were pretty bad. For one thing she really had bad choices of men, including the current husband, who now was accusing her of outrageous sins. Now the time of this story is the 1880’s in England, and woman are really second-class citizens, without many rights.
Rosalind is an accomplished teacher, and does come to her mother’s aid even though she has many issues with her, and I could really understand where she was coming from. She takes her mother to a quaint coastal town, which made me want to live there. So many hurtful things to get revealed, and we can understand what the causes of some of the problems were.
Of course life cannot be all sunshine and roses, and our ladies have a few trials and are taken by people who mean harm, and are out for their own gain. I recommend this book, what a great summer read, and you won’t want to put it down!
I received this book from the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.